Kentucky Derby betting for the 136th running of the Run for the Roses has been dominated so far with money on Eskendereya.
This horse is trained by Todd Pletcher and will be the overwhelming favorite in Kentucky Derby odds.
Kentucky Derby betting on favorites is not normally the way to go but in recent years that trend has changed a little bit. It was just two years ago that Big Brown won as the favorite in Kentucky Derby odds and Eskendereya looks just as good. The horse is trained by Todd Pletcher and that may be the only negative. Pletcher has never won the Kentucky Derby but this horse looks like the best one he has ever had. Eskendereya won the Fountain of Youth easily and then went and ruined the field in the Wood Memorial. The performance in the Wood was so good that most people believe it will take something unforeseen for the horse to lose the Derby. Eskendereya won the Wood by about 10 lengths and it was not even an effort. Jockey John Velazquez is an excellent jockey and he is very capable of handling this horse in the Kentucky Derby. Things have gone very well for Eskendereya so far so the only question could be how he handles trouble if it occurs in the Derby. The distance should not be a problem as the horse’s sire is Giant’s Causeway who was second in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic, and his damsire is 1977 Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew.
There are a lot of other horses in the Kentucky Derby betting field but they are all probably running for second place. Lookin at Lucky did not do well in the Santa Anita Derby but you may want to throw that race out when looking at the horse in Kentucky Derby odds. The horse got into a ton of trouble and Garrett Gomez gave the horse a terrible ride. Bob Baffert is the trainer and his horses should always be respected. Sidney’s Candy won the Santa Anita Derby and was very impressive. The problem for this horse is that he is a speed horse and they rarely win in the Derby.
Other contenders in Kentucky Derby betting could include Odysseus who was impressive in the Tampa Bay Derby. Another Pletcher horse, Interactif could be an interesting choice if he runs. If he runs well in the Blue Grass he could get some attention in Kentucky Derby betting.